News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-09-08
AN ALASKAN POTLATCH.
How the AUX and Sitka Indians Ad-
Just Their Tribal Differences.

On Sunday last five canoes of Sitka
Indians arrived at the AUX village, Just
above town. 1t was the occasion of no
little excitement among the Arks, for
the Sitkans, as is usual upon such visits,
made demand of 120 blankets as a re-
muneration for injuries a member of
their tribe had received two years ago
while engaged in cUt-and-slash with
an AUX Indian, in which the Sitkan got
decidedly the worst of the battle. The
Auks refused to accede to the demand,
the result of which was general go-as-
you-please, in which knives took q
prominent part as settlers of the dis
pute. During the melee one of the
Auks received severe cut on the hand,
upon which he set up howl, demand
ing pay from the Sitkans for the wound
he had received at their hands. It now
being stand-off, in that members of
both tribes had received injuries one
from the other, peace was declared, pro-
yiding the Auks would tender to their
visitors grand potlatch (feast and
dance) The Auks, who are a weaker
tribe than the Sitkans, consented, and
accordingly on Wednesday evening last
the ball was opened. About once a
year the Sitkans come over and run
bluff on their weaker neighbors, during
which they make love to their most
buxom squaws and gorge themselves
until the larders of their hosts are well
nigh exhausted.
Upon the evening of the dance the
whites of Juneau were informed of the
occasion and requested to come as spec
70 Trl,a hand lorc tho ,1C,x-o1+xr
of the thing, determined to serenade the
sons of the forest and open up their ball
in q style that Mr.. Lo bad never seen
Tile IKE OF FyrTUre p s4=s==t,
and white spectators formed the line of
march at the outskirtiof the village and,
to the tune of 'tPri3ner's S Hope" and
Marching Through Georgia, marched
up through the village, coming to halt
in front of Chief Cow-ee's residence.
Although the odor of dried salmon and
seal grease somewhat choked the players
they managed to finish the strain. The
old chief gave them warm welcome,
and extended to the band the great
honor of leading forth the dancers, who
were already costumed and ready. The
band again formed the line of march
with the war-chief Cow-kleck in front as
drum-major and about twenty-five In
dian dancers, hideously painted and
dressed i'll costumes in imitation of the
bear, fox, eagle, swan, goose and other
animals, interspersed throughout with
bits of bright coloring, bringing up the
rear.
The procession came to a stop in front
of the hall, shake cabin some. 20X4O
feet. Upon the floor inside, packed as
sardines i'll box, sat men, women and
children. Two rows. of squaws occupy
the front, who in perfect tune and with
powerful exercise of their lungs sing a
chorus to the chant of the dancers. At
q given signal from the chief, who acts
as floor manager, the music strikes up;
then there follows flourish OF swan
wings, and the dancers commence sing
ing and dancing. The excitement
gradually increases, until they fairly
howl, some barking like dogs, some
growing like bears. They grin and
gnash teeth, and comfort their bodies III
all shapes that their joints and muscular
development will admit of. Sweat be
gins to ooze from every pore III their
bodies. One strives to outdo the other;
for he is considered the best dancer who
can howl the loudest, grin the fiercest
and comfort the most. After the first
set is finished bucket of water is pass
ed around, from which each dancer
takes an enormous pull, all drinking out
of the bucket, and after about min
ute's rest the same performance above
described is gone through with.